Health

Many of us tend to think of our brain not as muscles, but as a computer: a machine capable of constant work. Not only is that untrue, but pushing ourselves to work for hours without a break can be harmful, some experts say. The idea that you can indefinitely stretch out your deep focus and productivity time to these arbitrary limits is really wrong. It’s self-defeating,” says research scientist Andrew Smart, author of Autopilot. “If you’re constantly putting yourself into this cognitive debt, where your physiology is saying ‘I need a break’ but you keep pushing yourself, you get this low-level stress response that’s chronic – and, over time, extraordinarily dangerous.”

The National Cancer Institute Says Cannabis Kills Cancer

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) updated its website to include various studies revealing how cannabis may inhibit tumor growth by killing cells, blocking cell growth, and blocking the development of blood vessels needed by tumors to grow. The institute also said that cannabis does this while protecting healthy cells.

WITH food security firmly on the international agenda, there's a growing appetite to look again at the opportunities promised by agricultural biotechnology.

Scientists working in this area are excited by new techniques that enable them to edit plant DNA with unprecedented accuracy. Even epigenetic markers, which modulate the activity of genes, can now be altered. The promise is to modify crops to make them more nutritious or resistant to disease.

1. What causes death?
2. Are "Living Wills" available where you live?
3. Are there special rites or ceremonies performed when a person dies?
4. Are you afraid of death?
5. Do you believe in life after death?
6. Do you often think of death?
7. Do you think that there is anything worth dying for?
8. Do you want to know the date of your death? Why or why not?
9. How do you cope with the death of someone special?

1.Do you know any vegetarians?
2.Do you think restaurants should offer one or two vegetarian dishes on their menu?
3.What are the different kinds of vegetarians?
4.Could you try vegetarianism for a month?
5.Could you try vegetarianism for a week?
6.Could you try vegetarianism for a full day?
7.If someone eats cheese and drinks milk, are they vegetarian?
8.If someone wears leather shoes or a fur coat, can they call themselves "vegetarian"?
9.What is the difference between a vegan and a vegetarian?

Creative artists have used mind-altering substances from time immemorial. The first evidence of fermented beverages was found in a 9000-year-old archaeological site in China, alongside some of the oldest intact musical instruments. Naturally.

In modern times, it's hard to imagine American culture without booze and pot — from Louis Armstrong, a prolific marijuana smoker, to Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, heroic drinkers both. But how do alcohol and pot actually affect the creative mind? Well, it depends on who you ask.

Why You Need to Put Your Brain on a Fitness Plan, Too

Fact: We are outliving our brains. Life expectancy in the United States today is about 80 years old. Girls have a one in three chance of living to 100, while boys have one in four. The problem? Our cognitive brain performance peaks in our early 40s. That means mental functions like memory, speed of thinking, problem-solving, reasoning, and decision-making decline in the last 30 or 40 years of life.

Reading:Free, imaginative play is crucial for normal social, emotional and cognitive development. It makes us better adjusted, smarter and less stressed

One study found that kids who played with blocks scored higher on language tests than kids who had no blocks. Perhaps the children with blocks simply spent less time on unproductive activities such as watching TV--but the end result was good for them in any case.

Uruguay to sell legal marijuana for $1 a gram

President José Mujica presses on with plan to create government-run legal marijuana industry to combat criminals
Uruguay's drug tsar says the country plans to sell legal marijuana for $1 a gram to combat drug-trafficking, according to a local newspaper.

The plan to create a government-run legal marijuana industry has passed the lower house of Congress, and Uruguay's president, José Mujica, expects to push it through the Senate soon as part of his effort to explore alternatives in the war on drugs.

The Top Five Vitamins You Should Not Take

I used to take vitamin supplements almost every day. Taking vitamins seemed like a good idea: after all, we know that vitamins are essential for life, and vitamin deficiencies can definitely hurt you. I always thought that vitamins were an inexpensive way to get a little bit healthier. Millions of Americans apparently agree with me. Close to half of the population in the U.S. takes vitamins, with multi-vitamins being the most popular.* Vitamins are sold in virtually every grocery store, ranging from mega-markets like Wegmans to the organic Whole Foods chain. The vitamin and supplements industry, which is immensely profitable, relies on the intuition that if a little bit of something is good for you, a bit more can’t hurt. Right?
Wrong.